Any Atiku Supporter Is An Enemy – Governor Ortom

By Adesina Soyooye

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has declared anybody who supports the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, as his enemy.

Both Atiku and Ortom are of the same Party. But Ortom is one of the five PDP Governors headed by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, at loggerheads with the Party leadership and Atiku.

Ortom, obviously, following in the footsteps of his leader, Wike, made the shocking statement in Makurdi on Sunday during a banquet he hosted in honour of the “rebel” PDP Governors. They had gone to Benue for the flag-off of the Party’s campaign against 2023. Ortom, in the last leg of his term as Governor, is contesting in 2023 for a Senatorial seat. A couple of weeks ago, Wike donated 25 busses to the Benue PDP to prosecute its campaign.

Speaking at the banquet in the honour of the visiting Governors, Ortom said he will not support Atiku against 2023, and dubbed any Atiku supporter his enemy.

Explaining why he would never abandon Wike, Ortom described him as a worthy friend who always stood by him and the State in times of crisis occasioned by the incessant invasion of Benue  by rogue Fulani heardsmen.

Ortom: “When Benue was under siege, he donated N250 million, and he subsequently spent over N700 million to support the State to tackle the humanitarian crisis occasioned by the unwarranted attacks.

“He didn’t stop at that. He convinced Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom to, also, assist the State, and he (Udom) donated N200 million to us.

“Is he not a worthy friend? He’s a worthy friend and we are working together to liberate the Country.

“I’m not going to support any Fulani man to continue to do injustice to my people unless my people tell me to do otherwise.”

In Rivers State, Governor Wike has since declared all Atiku supporters his enemies and enemies of the State, and is dealing with them accordingly.

The Governors who Ortom hosted are: Wike, Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia, Seyi Makinde,  Oyo, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu.

Both Wike and Makinde had earlier said they will not vote Atiku unless the National Chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, steps down from office for a Southerner.